


How To Get Away With Murder

by thatquirkycat



Category: Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Angst, F/M, Murder, hitman - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-20
Updated: 2017-06-18
Packaged: 2018-10-08 12:58:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,041
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10387149
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thatquirkycat/pseuds/thatquirkycat
Summary: Reno is a hired hitman for a living. How long will he be able to keep that a secret from his long-term girlfriend? Slowly but surely, Yuffie is starting to put the pieces together. Will she find out what he's doing?





	1. Abandonment

Reno was very good at getting away with things. Those things consisted of murder. It was amazing that his girlfriend still hadn’t found out about his history. He had a very dark history, and if Yuffie knew about it, she would out him to the police, and would have nothing to do with him. He did the things he did for money; he was greedy. However, it was a necessary evil. He always knew how to cover his tracks, and get away with it without anyone batting an eyelid and thinking it was him who did it. Reno knew how to get an alibi, and how to bribe people into saying they saw him that night, even if they didn’t. There had been a few close calls where he was almost certain that Yuffie was going to find out about what he was doing, or about his history. The thing about his history was, it directly affected Yuffie’s past. Yuffie thought she had only met him a few years ago through doing her own business, but little did she know that Reno had been involved in her life ever since she was a child. There were so many times Reno wanted to tell her all the things he did- all the wrongs he committed, but he knew if he did they would be over, and he would be forced to do something he didn’t want to.

As a couple, they were flawed and both did a lot of evil things they weren’t supposed to. Yuffie was still a thief, and was still carrying out missions for money. She had made a lot from stealing from people, and selling things on later that she didn’t want. In the new city they lived in, Materia was few and far between, so her collection was lacking. Reno knew that if he went anywhere near her collection, she would beat the crap out of him. Although he was evil, and she did bad things too, they had boundaries. For the most part, their relationship was normal and healthy. The only thing they didn’t speak about was work. Reno asked her from day one to never speak of the work he did, and never ask what it was he was doing. For some stupid reason, Yuffie’s young and naïve mind trusted him, and from that point on she never asked what it was he was doing. There were a lot of times she grew curious, and when he was out of the house she would break into his office and try and find whatever it was he was hiding. Every time she went in, it was clear. Nothing suspicious, nothing ever out of place. Little did she know, that Reno cleaned and scrubbed the office of anything that might give him away every time he went away. He knew for a fact she would go in there and try and find something, so he just had to make sure he had nothing. Luckily, he was dating someone who didn’t know how to check properly for things like trap drawers, or test clothing fibres or anything of the sort. So, for now, he was safe. She believed him, and believed he was innocent in whatever it was he was doing, even though he was basically a hired hitman.

It was two days until Reno was due to travel across town for his next mission, so he had a little time to spend with Yuffie. He rolled over and saw her lying there, fast asleep. He wrapped his arms around her petite waist and pulled her closer. Even though he was an evil man and never asked for the reasons for why he was killing people, he adored Yuffie and wanted to spend forever with her. He truly loved her, and no one could say otherwise. People saw the way he looked at her, and how he lit up every time he got to come home to her after a mission. In recent times, he’d been on a particularly gruelling mission that took up two weeks where he rarely got to talk to her. He would be able to call her every so often using a burner phone. Honestly, he was surprised she never asked why she was getting calls from a blocked number. Yuffie knew not to ask. She loved him and trusted him enough, and therefore had no reason to ask. She stirred in his arms now, and twisted in his arms, slowly opening her eyes to find him staring at her, gently running his calloused fingers over her soft cheeks. He leaned down, kissed her forehead and buried his face in her neck.   
_“Good morning, beautiful_.” He murmured in his usual sleepy drawl. She gave a soft mumble of something similar in response, and huddled close to his body, tangling up in the sheets and against him. He held her close, breathing her in. Reno would have to start preparing for his trip, and he didn’t want to. It meant spending half of the time he should be spending with his girl; he’d be spending packing and being secretive instead. Sometimes, he was so stressed from arguing with her about small things that he got so close to blurting out the truth, that it was on the tip of his tongue and he had to walk away to stop it from slipping out.

Reno would be lying if he said he didn’t enjoy it just a little. It was just business, and that’s all it’d ever be. But, there was a certain rush you got when you found your gloved hands around someone’s throat, and watched the life drain from their eyes as they clawed at your hands, desperate to live, desperate to escape. He didn’t ever worry if he would make it out of the job on time. In that sense, he was like a lifeless robot. He didn’t care, because he knew that he would be safe and sound after finishing the job. The redhead was lucky; he had a loving girlfriend who was none the wiser about what it was he did in the hours he was away. All the plotting he did, met up in dark alleys with people. He’d been beaten up countless amounts of times when working on a job, and sometimes he’d come home with a split lip or a black eye. Yuffie always nursed him back to health and looked after him, never asking a single thing.

Yuffie woke up and stretched, lying on his chest, and gazing up into his vibrant eyes. “Good morning to you too.” She muttered, burying her face into the smooth, chiselled planes of his chest. He was her safe place, her happiness. To her, he could do no wrong. He was innocent, and wouldn’t do anything to hurt a fly. She knew he was a troublesome teenager and got into a lot of fights, but so did she. She knew what it was like to be mischievous and cause as much havoc as she could possibly get into. However, they both were different people now- or so she thought.

Getting out of the bed, Yuffie stretched her arms to the ceiling. Reno watched her, and how her body curved in the right places. He smirked slightly and rolled to her side, hooking a finger onto her underwear. “Leaving me already?” He asked, pouting childishly at her.   
“Mm, only for breakfast.” She told him, leaning down and kissing his cheek. “Do you want me to cook for you?” She asked, grabbing his large hand and trying to tug him out of the bed. He whined and protested, but eventually stumbled out of the bed and onto his feet, picking her up off her feet and hugging her tight to his bare skin. “Let’s cook together.” He whispered, kissing her forehead. Yuffie was overjoyed at the idea of this. Squealing, she begged him to put her back down on her feet, to which he obliged. She tugged at his hand and began to race down the stairs. She may have been in her early twenties, but she still acted as if she was a small child. Reno liked that about her; he was serious about his work, and it was stressful. When he came home, he got to come home to a girl who was playful and happy, and didn’t have a care in the world. They are contrasting people, but they make for a great couple. She slid into the kitchen, Reno sluggishly following behind her, yawning and beelining to the coffee machine. Racing around, she began to get the ingredients for their breakfast banquet. She turned on the radio and found her favourite pop station. Reno sighed and grimaced. It was too early in the morning for this. He didn’t complain though; it made her happy, and that’s all he cared about.

She put the toast on, started cooking eggs and bacon, all the while Reno simply made coffee. That was his massive contribution to the banquet. Pressing a few buttons. Yuffie walked over to him and jumped onto his back. He let out a cry of surprise, but instinctively wrapped his arms around her naked legs. “What are you doin’?” He asked, chuckling at her. She squealed and buried her face in his neck, giving him delicate kisses. “Having fun!” She smiled against his skin, and he smiled too. Smoke started to rise from the toaster, and the alarm started to beep. Reno set her back down and rushed over to the toaster, pinging them up. They were burnt, black as charcoal. He sighed, but buttered them anyway. They would do. (Mainly because he was too lazy to put new bread in.)   
“See, if you didn’t jump on my back, wouldn’t have burnt the toast!” He told her, his voice mildly scolding. She felt her heart sink from his telling off, even though she knew deep down he didn’t mean it like that. He tried to sound like he was teasing, but it came off far angrier. He knew what he had done instantly, and he sighed, walking to loop his arms around her. She instantly tried to swat him away, but before she had a chance to he already had his arms firmly wrapped around her waist.   
“I’m sorry, Yoofs… I didn’t mean it.” He muttered against the crook of her neck. He felt her sigh and relax into his arms, melting away the problems he just temporarily caused. A smile graced his lips, as he began kissing up her neck, swaying her gently. She whined, and her face turned into a tomato from blushing. “No no, don’t start. We gotta make breakfast!” She firmly told him, tending to the eggs and bacon. Soon enough, the breakfast was ready and they were eating at the table.

“Yoofs… You know what conversation is coming.” He told her, his eyes filled with sadness. She put her fork down and looked at him, sighing heavily.   
“You’re going away again; aren’t you?” She asked, feeling her heart break again. It hurt so much every time he went away, and she wished he would stay for more than just two months. Even when he was home, he worked. There was barely any sex, any intimacy. No dates. Nothing.  
“In two hours.”  
“Two hours!? Why didn’t you tell me before?”  
“Because… I wanted to try ripping off the band-aid. Make it easier, y’kno?”  
“Well, it doesn’t.”  
A silence filled the air, clogging the atmosphere with hatred and heartbreak. She looked at him, trying to blink back the tears.   
“Stop leaving me behind. Take me with you.” She pleaded, her dainty fingers gripping the tablecloth. His eyes softened, and his head tilted gently. He did it whenever he was apologetic, or had some form of regret for hurting her.   
“You know I can’t. I can’t show you what it is I do.”  
“Then don’t go. Stay with me, _please…_ ”  
“Yuffie… Don’t make this harder than it has to be.” He sighed, walking away, plate in hand. He flinched when he heard her fists slam onto the table.   
“Me? Make this hard? Oh, poor you! I’m so sorry that I am inconveniencing _you_ in this. I’m not the one constantly leaving my lover behind every two fucking minutes.” She yelled, the tears burning her eyes as they began to roll down her cheeks.  Her words were responded to with a stone-cold silence from Reno. He knew if he said anything he would be crying, screaming and shouting at her. Begging her to stop. He washed the plate and head upstairs.   
“Hey! Are you listening? Don’t walk away from me!” She cried, following him up the stairs. She stood there in the hallway, watching him button up his shirt, sliding on his blazer and fastening his belt. For a moment, his gaze met hers as he looked up. She saw the guilt in his eyes, just as he saw the heartbreak and anger in hers. Dismissing it, he grabbed his suitcase, and made his way down the stairs.   
“If you leave, don’t come back.”


	2. Secrets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seeing things from both points of view. How is Reno coping without her, and what is his work entailing? Will Yuffie find out the truth?

Reno’s POV.  
A car pulled up on the dark roadside that he was stood on, his hands shoved in his pockets, a cigarette hanging out of his mouth. “You the guy?” The voice from the car asked. Reno took the cigarette from his mouth and stubbed it out on the path. He opened the car door, and got in. “I believe I am. Now, what can I do for you?” He asked, slouching back, crossing a leg over the other. It had been a month since he landed in Ohio, and he hasn’t heard a single thing from Yuffie. He called her about five times a day when he got the chance, and just got instantly rejected and sent to voicemail every time he tried. She was calling his bluff, surely. She would accept him back in if he did come back… right?  
“Do you have what I asked for?” Reno asked, leaning forward to look at the bald man sat in the driver’s seat, black sunglasses completely covering his eyes. He had piercings all down his ears. Glancing in the mirror, he noticed his expression was as cold as ice. The man pulled a weighty envelope from his inner suit pocket and handed it to Reno.   
“I’ll be in touch.” He told him, opening the car door and stepping out. The man drove away, a loud hum and screech echoing through the empty streets as he left. Reno glanced inside the envelope at all the money, when he noticed something else; a key. He wondered if it was to a locker, or the house of the people he’d been hired to “take care of.” When it came to being a hired hitman, Reno didn’t have many rules. For the most part, he only killed adults, and the occasional teenager. He didn’t dare to lay a hand on a baby. However, he did handle them accordingly; he would generally take them to an adoption centre and put them on the doorstep, or drive them to another ‘friend’ of his, so he could deal with them. He generally tried to avoid leaving children parentless or without some form of guardian, but he wasn’t going to turn down a huge lump sum of money that he could spend looking after Yuffie.   
Reno walked down the street to a payphone, looking at the graffiti and scratched phrases on the plastic box. Inserting coins into the slot, he picked up the phone, instantly dialling Yuffie’s number. He wouldn’t give up on her just like that. He was determined, and persistent. It’s how he was when he first tried getting her to go out with him. They were best friends for a long time before they dated. He constantly asked her out on dates, but she told him to wait, and to try another day. Which eventually, led to a yes. Reno couldn’t deny that he was glad he was persistent. He didn’t know what he’d do without her in his life. Again, no answer. He sighed and slammed the phone against the wall, pushing the door open and walking towards the shabby, broken down motel that he was staying in. He had to lay low, and this was as low as he was willing to get. Reno walked along the damp tarmac, kicking an empty beer can as he went. Turning the corner, he found his motel, the neon light half working, flashing weakly in the nighttime. Reno was still due to be out in Ohio for another month, working on trying to assassinate a young girl’s abusive father. The man who had given her the money was an uncle, who knew exactly what kind of man he was, and knew something had to be done about it. Reno hated his job, but he was in too deep to ever quit now. Not for a long time. However, he found some great people in this line of work, and he was glad that people like that girl’s uncle existed so she could eventually live a normal life. 

He knew how this was going to play out. It would consist of his daughter being away for the weekend, and Reno going to visit the father at his residence. He would walk to the door, knock loudly and wait. When the door opened, he would be stood there, looking sheepish and asking if he could come in for a moment, his car had broken down and he was waiting for someone to fix it. The drunken man would push the door open, and mutter; inviting him in to sit down and have a beer with him. For a while, they would converse like normal. Reno would begin to ask questions, asking if he had any children. The father responded with a bitter “yes” and took a sip of his beer, grumbling to himself. Reno would feel the anger beginning to boil in his veins, and knew that he had to do something. “Can I get you another beer?” He would ask, standing up. The father would nod, pointing to the fridge in the kitchen. Reno offers a false smile, making his way into the kitchen and pulling out a cold bottle from the fridge. Popping the cap off, he would reach into his pocket, pulling out a vial of cyanide, and pours it into the bottle. Shaking it carefully, he strolls back to the drunken mess that’s slouched in a leather armchair, and hands him the drink. “Enjoy,” he mutters, a small, cruel smile gracing his lips. Reno would return to his seat, and wait for the action to kick in, crossing his legs. Luckily, the man was an alcoholic and chugged the drink, not stopping for a breath. It wouldn’t take long for it to kick in. For the shortness of breath, the clutching of the chest and throat, and asking what the fuck you did to him. It would only take a couple of minutes, and that was the best part. Reno would look down at his watch, and wait. Just a mere ninety seconds later, and it was starting. His breath was short, sweat was beginning to bead on his forehead. He was clutching his chest, and would attempt to get up from his chair. Upon doing so, he falls to the floor; glaring at Reno with pain and panic in his eyes. “W-what did you do to me? What did you put in the beer?” He wheezed. Reno would kneel beside the male, resting a hand on his shoulder. “Only a teensy bit of cyanide.” He grinned, before returning to his seat. “It’s the least I could do for you.” He scoffed, looking at his watch once more. After time passes, he begins to foam at the mouth, and starts choking. It had to be done. Surely he would be dead from that? He waited for a while, before pulling out his phone, and calling Yuffie. Reno wouldn’t expect much. She probably wouldn’t answer. He was about to hang up the phone when he heard a connecting tone. She answered? Why now?  
“Yoofs, don’t hang up. I love you, okay? I’ll be home soon, and we can fix everything. I’m sorry— “Before he could say anymore, he suffered a blow to the head and was knocked unconscious, the mobile flying across the floor.   
“Your boyfriend just tried to kill me. Call the police.” He wheezed, before falling to the floor and dropping the phone. Somehow, the drunken father got some form of second wind, and managed to knock Reno out and talk to the emptiness on the other side of the phone. The phone dropped to the floor with a clatter, and the call kept going for a moment. Eventually, she hung up.  
X o X o X  
Yuffie’s POV  
For a few moments, she stopped breathing. She clutched at the phone in her hands, her knuckles going white with her death grip on the phone. The husky voice of a drunken man through the phone echoed in her mind. “Your boyfriend just tried to kill me.” Reno wouldn’t kill someone… would he? Once her lungs restarted and she was finally breathing, it was shallow and shaky. Snapping out of it, she quickly hung up the phone, flinging it far away from her. She didn’t want to touch it. She knew she should call the police, but she didn’t. Yuffie needed time to think about everything. To consider the facts and the truth. He wouldn’t hurt a fly, so how could he possibly hurt a human being to the point of killing them? It just seemed so unlikely. Just before this happened, she was considering calling him and telling him to come home. It took her days to forgive him, and to get over the fact he was putting his work before her, but eventually she forgave him… How was she supposed to forgive a murderer?   
She knew what she had to do; she had to figure out what the hell had happened here, before she was pointing fingers. It was time to call an old friend for a favour. Hesitantly going to collect her phone off the floor, she was surprised she didn’t break it with the force she threw it. With shaky hands, she unlocked her phone to see the picture of her and Reno. Her arm around his shoulder, his around her waist. For once, she was dressed feminine in a photo, wearing heels so she was actually able to kiss his cheek. It was her favourite photo, and now it made her feel sick to her stomach. Dismissing the feelings, she scrolled through her contacts to find a familiar name: Vincent Valentine.  
“What do you want?”   
“I need your help, Vince.”  
“What’s happened?”  
“I think Reno killed somebody.”


	3. INTERROGATION

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yuffie finds out a lot of information that changed everything she ever thought she knew about Reno.

Yuffie paced, phone in hand. “We have to get to the bottom of this. We have to find out what he’s up to.”  
Vincent was sat in the armchair in the corner, hands resting firmly on the armrests. He had a cold, expressionless face. However, on the inside, his heart was pounding and he felt cold sweat trickle down the back of his neck. “There has to be something in his office, right? He musta slipped up somewhere.” She told him, her voice panicked. She had lost all colour in her face, and looked like a ghost. Abruptly, she slammed the phone down on the sideboard and rushed upstairs to his office. Vincent’s eyebrow raised, and reluctantly he followed her, sighing heavily. There was no point trying to stop her. Despite how short and naïve she was, once she had her mind set to something; there was no stopping her.  
“I’m sure it was just a joke. He wouldn’t ever do anything. You know that, Yuffie.” He told her in attempt to reason with the frantic girl. He knew that his efforts would be fruitless, but he would try nonetheless. He didn’t want to see his friend going down for something he didn’t do. He knew him better than that… He hoped. He watched as she flung papers everywhere, knocking over pens and pencils that clattered onto the floor. Vincent sighed, folding his arms across his chest. “Don’t you think you’re being a little bit irrational?”  
She froze then. “Irrational? I just found out that my boyfriend tried to kill a man, and you have the audacity to be calling me irrational?” Yuffie scoffed, surprised that Vincent would even say something so stupid to her. She thought he’d be more supportive than this.  
“Come on. You know Reno better than anyone. Would he ever hurt anyone?” Vincent asked calmly. Yuffie put the papers down, and swivelled on her heels to look at him. “I don’t know? Maybe? He had a violent past. Who’s to say he won’t go back to his old ways?” She asked. Unfortunately, she made a valid point. Vincent didn’t know how to respond to that, except with a sigh. “God, you’re stubborn.” He muttered. Despite the circumstances, Yuffie cracked the tiniest of smiles. She went back to ignoring him and rummaging in the drawers to see what she could find. There had to be something… some kind of secret compartment, maybe?  
“You wouldn’t happen to know where the key is for these drawers, would ya?” She asked, rattling the handle on them. Vincent looked at her blankly, blinking multiple times.  
“Why the hell would I know? I don’t live with the guy.” Touche, she thought. Forgetting about the key, she looked around for something to attempt to pick the locks with. She’d seen it on TV, so she was hoping it would be as easy as that. After a few more minutes of looking, she found a hair grip. She must of left one in here on one of her other ventures into his office. Because it was still there, it meant that he probably knew what she got up to. She mentally shrugged the thoughts off. That didn’t matter anymore; it didn’t matter if he knew that she raided his office. He had a lot to explain if she ever spoke to him again. Picking up the hair grip, she used her teeth to pry it apart into a shape that looked suitable to pick a lock. “Let’s see if TV has helped me…” She muttered to herself, before jamming it into the lock, trying her best to mimic a key with the hair grip. It took longer than expected, and she was starting to grow frustrated. After composing herself, she tried again, this time being more delicate with the grip. She heard it make a sound that gave her the alert of success. Yuffie grinned, yanking the hair grip out of the drawer.  
“Vincent, I’m scared.” She muttered, looking up at him with big brown eyes. He heard his name and turned to look at her. He saw tears well up in her eyes, and wondered what she was so scared off. It couldn’t be that bad… right? “Hey, don’t worry. I’m sure there’s nothing in there. For all you know, it might just be some girly magazines that he didn’t want you to see.” He told her, brushing off the very real chance that he could be hiding something way darker than big-breasted girls. 

After a few moments to compose herself, she hesitantly began to open the drawer. She was greeted with a stack of paperwork, marked URGENT on the front. With trembling fingers, she picked up the file, sitting in Reno’s chair. “Vincent, come look.” Responding to her call, he walked over to her side, hands resting on the desk. “Open it.” He told her, his voice colder than usual. She took a moment, but opened the front page to find a personal information page, with a picture of a man clipped onto the front. 

Name: Thomas James Woods.  
Age: 46  
Occupation: Unemployed  
Marital status: Divorced  
Father of Taylor Elizabeth Woods, aged 17. Known to be an alcoholic and abusive father both physically and mentally.  
Reason to kill:  
Abuse of daughter.

 

“Reason to kill?” She looked up at him, tears in her eyes.  
God damn it Reno. I warned you. Vincent’s knuckles went white from gripping the table so hard. There was no way to explain this anymore. He couldn’t keep trying to lead her away from the truth.  
“The guy on the phone… He was telling the truth.” She said, her voice barely louder than a whisper. Tears fell down her cheeks, and she looked through the file, where she continued to find more information that solidified her suspicions. The man who hired her was the girl’s uncle, it had the father’s home address in it, contact numbers…  
“I have to call him.” She stood up from the chair, stumbling over the mess on the floor, in attempts to get to the stairs.  
“Yuffie, I don’t think that’s a good idea right now.”  
“Why not? I deserve an explanation.”  
“He won’t pick up. Remember? That guy took his phone.”  
“I have to at least try!” She yelled, tripping over the paper on the floor, where she stumbled into the hallway, her hands steadying herself against the wall.  
“You’re not in any fit state to be doing that right now.” He reached out to touch her, and she smacked his hand away. He sighed, and watched her walk unsteadily towards the stairs, sniffling loudly. “Just go away, Vince.”  
“I’m not leaving you alone!” He yelled sternly, reaching out and grabbing her hand. The next few moments happened so fast; she struggled, trying to push him away. He stumbled slightly, but was still holding onto her hand.  
“Get off me!” She cried, using her free hand to try and release her hand from his.  
“Come on, you just need to calm down.” He told her, fighting against her, where he grabbed her other hand. She used all her strength to push him away. She lost her balance on the first step, and slipped backwards. In a blink of an eye, she had tumbled all the way down to the bottom, lying there unconscious.  
“What have I done…”

**Author's Note:**

> This is only chapter 1- I haven't written something in forever, I tried. I will add more tags as I think of them!


End file.
